Nathan c



(No Model.) N. O. MOODY.

REIN GUARD FOR WHIFPLETREES.

Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

Jay 2.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNES SI S:

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

NATHAN C. MOODY, OF NE\VBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOCHARLES H. RICHARDSON, OF SAME PLACE.

RElN-GUARD FOR WHIFFLETREES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,145, dated October2, 1883.

Application filed July 525, 1853. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHAN G. MOODY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Newburyport, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRein-Guards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description-of the invention,

which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of one end oi'a whii'iletree provided with my improvedrein-guard. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, showing thespring-catch for holding the guard in its position; and Fig. 8 is a planor top view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention has relation to guards adapted to be fastened upon the endsof a whiffietree for the purpose of preventing the reins or lines frombecoming entangled between the whiiiietrees and crossbar, where they areapt to get caught, that the driver will lose control over his team; andit consists in theimproved construction of a guard of that class, hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A repre sents one end of a whifiietreeprovided with my improved guard. The latter consists of a rod, B, ofiron or other suitable material, bent into the shape shown, so as toextend out over the whit'fletree hook or cockeye, (shown at (3,) uponwhich the traces are fastened.

It will be seen that this guard effectually prevents the reins fromfalling down under the traces and getting caught between the whifiietreeand cross-bar.

If desired, and in order to facilitate hitching or unhitehing of thetraces, Il. may pivot the guard B upon the bolt D, and provide itsflattened end E, which rests upon the top of A the whit'fletree, with aspring-catch, F, adapted to interlock with a notch in the whiffletree,as will appear more clearly by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.Thus, when it is desired to hitch or unhitch the traces, the guard maybe swung to one side upon its pivot-bolt D, and after the hitching ornnhitching has been effected it may be sprui'lg back again over thetraces to its former position, when the spring-catch F, by interlockingwith the notch in the whitfietree, will hold the guard firmly in thisposition until it is desired to unhitch, when it may be sprung out ofthe wa as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

I am aware thata reinguard has been. made consisting of a bent rodextending from the pivotal bolts of two single-trees upon a double tree,preventing the reins from being caught under the inner ends of the saidsingle-trees; and I am consequently aware that the principle of arein-guard is not broadly new, nor do I wish to claim such construction,broadly; but

\V hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ol' the UnitedStates, is'

l. A reilrguard consisting of curved or hooked rods fastened to theouter ends of a whiiiletreeand overlapping the eockeyes and shafts, asand for the purpose shown and set forth. 7

2. The combination, with the whillletree A, of the curved rein-guard B,pivoted upon the -bolt 1), and provided with a spring-catch, F, adaptedto lock the guard in its operative position, in a vertical plane withand overlap ping the whi'ltletree hook or cockeye, substair tially asand For the purpose shown and set forth.

In. testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed in y signature in presence of two witnesses.

NATHAN CARTER MOODY. XVitnesses:

Hermon l. BARTLETT, STEPHEN Compms.

